


"You have to let me go."

by DancingInTheSliverGlow



Series: Febuwhump 2021 [28]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: "You have to let me go.", Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Book 3: The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus), Daggers, Day 28, F/M, FebuWhump2021, Febuwhump, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, Giant Spiders, Male-Female Friendship, One Shot, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Pre-Tartarus, Riptide, River Styx (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Short One Shot, Spider Silk - Freeform, Spiders, Tartarus, The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus) Spoilers, Underworld, falling, percabeth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 03:34:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29753436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DancingInTheSliverGlow/pseuds/DancingInTheSliverGlow
Summary: AU to the ending of Mark of Athena; what if Frank heard Hazel and flew back down to catch Percy and Annabeth before they fell into Tartarus? Is he strong enough to carry both of them to safety, or will one of them fall into Tartarus alone?
Relationships: Annabeth Chase & Frank Zhang, Annabeth Chase & Nico di Angelo, Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Nico di Angelo & Percy Jackson, Percy Jackson & Frank Zhang
Series: Febuwhump 2021 [28]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2137995
Comments: 6
Kudos: 28
Collections: febuwhump 2021





	"You have to let me go."

The pit behind them exhaled a cold blast of air. That’s when Annabeth knew with certainty. The chasm did go straight to the Underworld.

Percy must’ve felt it too. He guided Annabeth a little farther from the edge. Her arms and legs trailed spider silk like a bridal train. She almost wished she had her dagger to cut it off.

Suddenly, the chamber groaned. Plumes of dust and cobwebs blasted from the holes in the floor. The spider’s silk support cables trembled like massive guitar strings and began to snap. 

“We need to go!” Hazel warned, sensing that the floor was minutes away from complete collapse. “The floor won’t last long!”

Frank turned into an eagle and flew up towards the ship. Jason grabbed Piper, and summoned a gust of wind, sending them up, after Frank, to help Leo anchor the Athena Parthenos on board. Hazel started scrambling up the ladder to the Argo II, leaving Nico, Percy and Annabeth to wait beneath. 

Percy gripped Annabeth’s hand tightly. “It’ll be fine.”

After a few moments, Hazel climbed on board the Argo II. Nico reached for the ladder and hoisted himself onto the first rung. Beside Percy, Annabeth stumbled as a sharp pain shot up Annabeth’s bad leg.

Percy turned to her, concern written all over his face. “What is it?”

Annabeth tried to stagger back toward the ladder. Why was she moving backwards instead? Her legs swept out from under her and she fell on her face.

“Annabeth!” Percy cried out, lunging to reach her. He missed her fingers by mere inches, and stumbled.

Suddenly Hazel leaned over the edge and started screaming, “Percy! Nico! Her ankle! Cut the string!”

Annabeth desperately tried to grasp the surface and dig her fingers in to stop sliding, but the force pulling her backwards was too strong. “Percy! Help-”

Annabeth sobbed as she hit the edge of the pit. Her legs went over the side. She realized what was happening too late. Her ankle had spider silk wrapped around it. Spider silk, which was currently falling down the pit. She should have cut it away immediately. She had thought it was just a loose one, but with the entire floor covered in cobwebs, she hadn’t noticed that one of the strands wrapped around her ankle went straight into the pit. It was attached to something heavy, down in the darkness, something that was pulling her in. Something that was pulling her into Tartarus.

“No!” Percy’s voice replicated the overwhelming panic that was choking Annabeth. He had finally caught up to Annabeth, and was holding her arms, preventing her from falling deeper into the pit. “Annabeth-my sword-” 

They both realized the same thing at the same time. Percy couldn’t reach Riptide without letting go of Annabeth’s arms, and Annabeth’s strength was quickly fading. She slipped over the edge and Percy fell with her.

Above them, Hazel cried out in fear, “PERCY! ANNABETH! HOLD ON!”

Annabeth’s body slammed into something, and she opened her eyes to see that she’d fallen partway into the pit. She was dangling over the void, with only Percy hanging onto one of her wrists preventing her from falling into Tartarus. His other hand was clutching a ledge about 15 feet below the top of the chasm. 

The pull on Annabeth’s leg was too strong.

 _No esssssscape!_ A voice hissed from the chasm. _I go to Tartarussss and ssssso do you!_

The pit shook. Percy was the only thing keeping her from falling, and he was barely holding onto the ledge. His fingers were slipping.

Nico appeared over the edge of the chasm, and held his arm out, but he was much too far away to help. Hazel was still frantically yelling and - was that the sound of beating wings?

A giant eagle appeared at the top of the chasm. Frank! He dove down, below Percy, and sliced at the silk strands until they snapped, and disappeared into the chasm. He carefully hovered closer to Annabeth, and carefully grabbed her torso with his claws, with Percy holding onto Annabeth’s wrist. 

As soon as Frank had both demigods’ weight, he started to lose altitude. Annabeth felt the strain as Frank beat his wings harder. Eventually they began to rise, foot by foot. Annabeth’s wrist felt like it was on fire. Percy’s entire weight was pulling on it. Annabeth was too weak to hold Percy’s entire weight; he was doing most of the work. Still, she held on with all the strength.

 _NO! DEMIGODSSSSS I WILL HAVE YOU!_ The voice from earlier returned, angry and powerful. 

Suddenly, Annabeth felt a tug pulling her down into the pit. This was unlike the silk strand from before; it was more like a suction pulling the very air - and everything in it - down into Tartarus.

With both demigods’ weight, Frank didn’t stand a chance. He dropped foot by foot, by the minute. Not to mention, Annabeth could tell that Frank was quickly tiring. She murmured a prayer to the Olympians; anyone who would listen, asking for strength. 

“Annabeth,” Percy whispered. “You have to let me go.” 

Cold terror washed through Annabeth. “No! Nonono.” She begged. She had just gotten Percy back, she couldn’t lose him, not _again_ -

“Annabeth, it’s okay.” Percy tried to smile. Somehow, it was both genuine and pained. “It’s okay. Lead the others to the other side. To the doors of death. I’ll meet you there. I swear it on the Styx.”

And then he let go.

“PERCY!” Annabeth howled, looking down as Percy’s face. He smiled at her as he fell backwards, getting smaller and smaller until there was only darkness. 

Above her, Frank let out a panicked squawk. 

“Frank- he let go! Frank we need to-” But what could they do? Frank couldn’t lift the weight of two demigods, not with this air suction. 

Frank flapped his wings harder, and slowly they began rising again. Annabeth didn’t want to admit it, but Percy’s sacrifice was the only reason why she and Frank were able to get away.

After a few minutes, Frank collapsed next to the pit, and shifted back into his human form, shaking from exhaustion. 

Annabeth sobbed. The image of Percy falling into Tartarus alone was seared into her mind. Someone touched her shoulder. Annabeth turned, and saw Nico, looking just as grief-stricken as she felt.

“Nico-Nico, he-he,” Annabeth tried to speak, but she was crying too hard, nearly hyperventilating. 

“Annabeth - the floor is still crumbling. We need to go.” Nico tugged at her arm. “Percy is the most powerful demigod we both know. Look - he said he’d meet you at the doors of death, right?”

Annabeth nodded through the tears. _I’ll meet you there. I swear it on the Styx._

“Then he’ll be there. If anyone can survive, it’s him.” Nico tried to reassure her. Annabeth looked at him. He was still weak from his imprisonment and time in Tartarus, but he sounded and looked completely convinced. 

His words got through to her. Percy was the most powerful demigod she had ever seen. He was the most talented swordsman in 300 years - if not longer. 

If there was anyone who could survive Tartarus and come out the other side, it would be Percy.

Annabeth shakily got to her feet, and helped Nico get Frank standing. Together, they limped to the ladder hanging off the Argo II. She watched Frank go up the ladder first, quickly followed by Nico. Before mounting the ladder, Annabeth turned back to the pit.

“I promise I’ll meet you on the other side, Seaweed Brain. I swear it on the Styx.”

The End

**Author's Note:**

> If y'all are interested, I have a few more fanfics, including two with powerful!Percy and one with dark!Percy in Tartarus! They're the first and 6th fanfics in my Percy Jackson Febuwhump 2021 series, Mind Control and "I can't see."
> 
> I hope everyone's staying safe and healthy during these troubling times.  
> Come say hi on [my tumblr :)](https://art-in-the-sunlight.tumblr.com)  
> If you enjoyed, consider leaving a kudos and comment?  
>   
> Emoji Key for those who don't know what to say!  
> ❤ = you wish you could kudos again  
> 👍 = you enjoyed reading it  
> 🤔 = wtf was Frank, Jason, Leo and Piper doing in canon when this happened? Chilling around watching the golden couple fall into the land of nightmares?


End file.
